MARTIN, Tenn. (Interstat) — Tennessee-Martin used a strong second half to defeat Western Illinois 67-60 in an Ohio Valley Conference men’s basketball opener Thursday at Skyhawk Arena.

The Skyhawks, who trailed 31-29 at halftime, outscored the Leathernecks 38-29 after the break. Tennessee-Martin dominated inside, scoring 40 points in the paint and adding 21 fastbreak points to secure the win. Western Illinois managed just 20 paint points and seven fastbreak points.

The victory improved Tennessee-Martin to 10-4 overall, while Western Illinois fell to 4-10. An announced crowd of 1,144 attended the game at Skyhawk Arena.